All right, sorry for the absence there for a couple days. I got hit by some kind of flu on Tuesday night and figured it would pass quickly. Instead it just got worse each day – throbbing headache, fever, body aches, lungs full of muck – the whole smash. I spent all of Wednesday and Thursday in bed in a haze of sleep, cold sweats, and flu meds. Finally, today, I’m functional again and feeling more like a human being. Moral of the story is: Avoid this flu at all costs if you can. It’s no fun. [Read on here…]

The big news today is that Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that it plans restore some of its key classic silent films over the next few years. Here’s the official details...

Approximately 15 classic titles to be restored over the next four years

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., May 28, 2015 -- Building on its 2012 Centennial celebration, Universal Pictures announced today its continued commitment to honor the Studio’s rich film history and cultural legacy by restoring some of the world’s most classic silent films. During the next four years, the Studio will restore approximately 15 silent film titles from Universal’s early years. The complete list of films is still in development in collaboration with outside film historians, institutions, and preservationists. Partners and collaborators in the initiative include the Library of Congress, The Film Foundation, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, George Eastman House, UCLA Film & Television Archives, Association of Moving Image Archivists, and Hollywood Heritage. The announcement was made at the Opening Night of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

“The company understands its responsibility and need to preserve our silent film legacy,” said Ron Meyer, Vice Chairman, NBCUniversal. “This early art of filmmaking is the foundation on which Universal Pictures was built more than 100 years ago, and it’s important we honor our rich history.”

“The silent film era is best known for instantly recognizable storylines, settings, costumes, and characters. Most early silent films were accompanied by a full-fledged orchestra, organist or pianist to provide musical background and to underscore the narrative on the screen. Some even included live actors or narrators. The major genre emphasis was on swashbucklers, historical extravaganzas, and melodramas, although all kinds of films were being produced throughout the decade.”

“According to a report released by the Library of Congress, 70 percent of the nation’s silent feature films have been completely lost. Universal’s restoration team will work with archives and collectors worldwide to secure copies of prints and additional elements needed to complete this restoration effort and augment the silent film titles currently in its library.”

“Universal Pictures silent film restoration initiative builds on the company’s ongoing restoration commitment. Since the program was first announced in 2012, nearly 30 titles have been restored and 25 more titles are expected to be restored by 2017. Fully restored titles to date include All Quiet on the Western Front, The Birds, Buck Privates, Dracula (1931), Dracula Spanish (1931), Frankenstein, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Out of Africa, Pillow Talk, Bride of Frankenstein, The Sting, To Kill a Mockingbird, Touch of Evil, Double Indemnity, High Plains Drifter, and Holiday Inn.”

That’s pretty cool news indeed. Hopefully, the studio will also commit to making them available on Blu-ray too.

Also recently announced is word that Paramount is going to start distributing theatrical titles from IFC Films.

All right, let’s have a catch-up rundown on some of the release news from the last couple days...

Olive Films has confirmed that their July Blu-ray and DVD release slate will include Criminal Law (1988), Ned Kelly (1970), Roller Boogie (1979), Street Smart (1987), and Wild Thing (1987) on 7/7, Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951), Baby It’s You (1983), The Eternal Sea (1955), Hell’s Five Hours (1958), King of the Gypsies (1978), and Man of Conquest (1939) on 7/14, and Dark By Noon (2013) and Relentless Justice (2014) on 7/21.

PBS Distribution will release Masterpiece: Poldark on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/7. They also have 1913: Seeds of Conflict on DVD only on 6/30.

Warner Home Video will release Mike & Molly: The Complete Fifth Season on DVD only on 8/18 (SRP $24.98), including all 22 episodes.

Sony will have House of Cards: The Complete Third Season out on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/7.

Anchor Bay Entertainment will release Rectify: The Complete Second Season on DVD only on 6/2. They also have Lost After Dark coming on Blu-ray and DVD on 9/1.

Alchemy has set Comeback Dad for DVD only release on 6/9. They’re also releasing Back to the Jurassic on Blu-ray and DVD, starring Melanie Griffith and Jane Lynch, that same day.

Big World Pictures will release Stop the Pounding Heart on DVD on 6/23.

Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and Paramount will release Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Return to NYC! on DVD on 7/14.

Image will release The Poltergeist of Borley Forest on DVD on 6/2.

For you music fans, Cinema Libre Studio is going to be releasing Andy Summers’ documentary Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving The Police on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/14. If you’re a fan of the band (as am I) it’s a great documentary. You can see more here at the official website.

And Eagle Rock Entertainment has also set Black Veil Brides: Alive & Burning on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/10.

All right, I’m too wiped out to post any cover artwork today, but I should back to business as usual next week. And if there are any typos in the text above, well… you know why. Blame my flu-addled brain.

Here’s something cool: Shout! Factory has announced that they’re going to be releasing a Hackers: 20th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray and DVD on 8/18. Details will follow in the weeks ahead.

Also, Scream Factory is releasing a pair of IFC Midnight titles on Blu-ray in August, including the Australian zombie film Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead on 8/4 and the alien invasion film Ejecta on 8/18. Scream has also set Toolbox Murders 2 for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/4. As we’ve mentioned previously, the company also has The People Under the Stairs coming on 8/11, followed by The Sentinel and Nomads on 8/18, and The Legacy and Metamorphosis/Beyond Darkness on 8/25. Scream has just delayed The Serpent and the Rainbow from its planned August street date to later in 2015 or early 2016. Still not done: Scream will release the retro Italian horror title The Editor on Blu-ray and DVD this Fall.

Meanwhile, our friends at Twilight Time are releasing State of Grace (1990) on Blu-ray on 6/9. Extras will include an isolated score track, audio commentary with director Phil Joanou and film historian Nick Redman, and the original theatrical trailer. They’re also releasing the British rock musical Absolute Beginners (1986) on Blu-ray on 6/9 (extras TBA). Also coming on 6/9 is François Truffaut’s Mississippi Mermaid (1969 – extras TBA). I LOVE this one: The company will release Edward Anhalt’s The Young Lions (1958) on Blu-ray on 6/9 as well (extras TBA). And I REALLY love this one: Look for Anatole Litvak’s The Night of the Generals (1967) on Blu-ray on 6/9. So... I guess what I’m saying is that 6/9 is going to be a great day for classic film fans. The pre-order date for all these titles should be 5/27 (4 pm EST) on Screen Archives Entertainment. Gotta hand it to Twilight. They’re kicking ass right now.

Kino Lorber has announced a few great new deep catalog titles for release on Blu-ray and DVD too, including John Huston’s Moby Dick (DVD ONLY – 1956 – presumably MGM is working on their own Blu-ray) and Ted Kotcheff’s Billy Two Hats (1974) in September. Both star Gregory Peck. Also “coming soon” are Wayne Wang’s Slam Dance (1987) and Jerry Kramer’s Modern Girls (1986). On 7/28, look for Cherry 2000 (1987), The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (1978), Miracle Mile (1988), Prime Cut (1972), Zone Troopers (1985), and Monte Walsh (1970). And on 7/7, look for The Crimson Cult (1968), Pit Stop (1969), Report to the Commissioner (1975), Spasmo (1974), and Truck Turner (1974)

Olive Films’ June slate will include Fled (1996), Johnny Be Good (1988), Mean Season (1985), a Soul Plane: Collector’s Edition (2004), Stone Cold (1991), The Thing with Two Heads (1972), and Thrashin’ (1986), all due on both Blu-ray and DVD on 6/23.

Also, Magnolia has set the Simon Pegg comedy Kill Me Three Times for Blu-ray and DVD release on 7/7.

Finally, Well Go USA has For the Emperor due on Blu-ray on 7/7.

We’ll leave you with a bunch of new Blu-ray cover artwork (with Amazon pre-order links if available)...

Back tomorrow. Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

]]>billhunt@thedigitalbits.com (Bill Hunt)My Two CentsThu, 07 May 2015 12:49:11 -0700On Robert Altman (and a New Biography on his Life and Work)http://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/view-from-the-cheap-seats/on-robert-altman
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/view-from-the-cheap-seats/on-robert-altman

Robert Altman said his last “that’s a wrap,” can you believe it, some eight or nine years ago and it seems as though any hope of mainstream studio films with emotional weight, sharp characters, social satire and natural, cliché free dialogue was buried right next to him.

Every Hollywood director since the beginning of the medium owes a debt to Robert Altman. His style was so distinctive, so fresh and so natural that people would say to themselves, “Oh that’s what directors do.” [Read on here...]

Altman owned the 1970s, which many historians will most certainly remember as being the greatest decade in American film history. After years of toiling in television drama, he directed, far away from interfering studio eyes, M*A*S*H, which would be, ironically, the largest financial hit of his career. From that point until his death, he never hesitated, never stopped. When studios would abandon him, he turned to television; when TV couldn’t find a place for his vision, he went to Broadway then to opera then to film school, where he filmed a masterful single character drama in a sorority house. Then, as though he never left, Hollywood remembered him as his sword became sharper and he worked until he died, with a deal memo for what would have been a masterful final film on his fax machine.

Every Hollywood director since the beginning of the medium owes a debt to Robert Altman. His style was so distinctive, so fresh and so natural that people would say to themselves, “Oh that’s what directors do.”

A concerted effort to bring Altman and his work around again is paying large dividends – the best movie of last year, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, was a kissing cousin to Altman’s take on Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye and, following an exquisite documentary, which achieved the rare distinction of telling, with equal finesse, both Altman’s personal and professional biography, comes an oversized book that could quite possibly be the most intelligent and thoughtful of its kind. And it’s written in a partnership with Giulla D’Agnolo Vallan and Katherine Reed Altman, as in Mrs. Robert Altman, as in his most effective creative partner, his muse and the love of his life.

And I got to interview her. She may now be the love of mine. A fiercely opinionated yet quite charming and effusive, Mrs. Altman is the keeper of the flame. Would that Orson Welles or other artists who had rollercoaster personal lives, married and divorced and kids here and there had someone that was such a real partner.

Mrs. Altman was an actress, of sorts, and met Mr. Altman during the television stage in his career, they got married with three children of his and one of hers looking on and two more would join the firm later.

She describes the director ever so wistfully as a “honest to goodness boy next door type,” with mid western sensibilities and a strong sense of family and Altman’s brood watched as he continued to slog through television and through his first two major studio features, which were Countdown in 1968 and That Cold Day in the Park a year later. While both films are now considered now to contain signals that would very soon launch an extraordinary career, they were both afterthoughts at the time. In fact, Countdown, which starred James Caan and Robert Duvall, neither the box office star they eventually would become, was released as the bottom of a double bill with The Green Berets. Altman’s third feature was released with little fanfare, mostly as 20th Century Fox had absolutely no idea what to do with it. Featuring a rather starless cast and a feeling of ensemble perhaps unseen in any major picture, Altman, hiding from studio executives during its filming, delivered M*A*S*H.

We all know what happened next, well, actually for the next 25 years. Movies, glorious movies. What we perhaps didn’t know was that Altman’s family traveled for the most part to every location, and that Mrs. Altman, even now, remembers each film mostly by where it was shot, so ensconced was she with the production. The children entered the business too, for the most part – they’re production designers and cameramen and musicians and in the case of Wesley Ivan Hurt, Altman’s grandson, who played, with relish and style, the role of Swee Pea in Popeye added acting to their resume.

Altman’s early output as an “A” list director was astonishing. Brewster McCloud, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Images, Thieves Like Us, California Split and The Long Goodbye all hold up grandly today. But, in the Altman canon they were the first pitches toward a home run.

Watch Nashville today. Watch the Criterion Blu-ray. There is absolutely nothing like it.

“Altman” offers a wonderful essay by Kurt Vonnegut (Altman announced in Playboy that he was going to make Breakfast of Champions which, sadly, never happened) regarding Nashville.

“Most that has been done with a movie camera so far has been as silly as a penny arcade. But now Robert Altman has used the camera to produce a ribbon of acetate that, when illuminated from behind, projects onto a flat surface in a darkened room anywhere a shadow play of what we have truly become and where we might look for greater wisdom. The name of the film is Nashville.”

Also included in the book is a 1983 letter to Altman from no less than Richard Nixon, who leaves a giant footprint on Altman’s career, from Nashville, to Philip Baker Hall portraying the president in a one man play filmed by Altman entitled Secret Honor.

Nixon says: “In talking with my daughter Julie recently she told me that one of her all time favorite movies was your Nashville.”

I did not get to see it and wondered if by chance it has been or will be released on cassette. Don’t go to too much trouble but if your secretary would check it out, I’d appreciate it.”

Say that again?

Julie even sawNashville? Please. She would have needed an interpreter. Mrs. Altman said her husband cherished the letter but what is that about? He was trying to mooch a copy? Those were form letters to every director in town so that he could build up a library?

Post Nashville, there’s Buffalo Bill and the Indians, certainly not the film Dino De Laurentiis envisioned, then a series of pictures for 20th Century Fox including 3 Women, A Wedding, A Perfect Couple, Quintet, and, a feature considered so bad that Fox never officially released it and the only such that is not available in home video, Health.

Next up, Popeye, Altman’s musical take on the classic cartoon character. Co-produced by Disney and Paramount, one can only imagine the bone headed studio executives who envisioned the ruination of this character as they later would Yogi Bear, The Cat in the Hat and countless others. I think Popeye, released right at the burgeoning of home video, was the last movie I saw in the theaters over three or four times (I’ve only gone back to see one in the last 20 years, Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd, which I might watch again tonight.)

Popeye was ravaged by the critics and is probably considered a flop today, although it was hugely successful financially. Word to the wise, it’s a masterpiece and plays as wonderfully today as it did thirty years ago.

“Reviewers took aim at Popeye, and made it somewhat of a joke,” said Mrs. Altman. “The reception to that particular film broke Bob’s heart.”

Post Popeye it was slim pickings for Altman and he eventually moved to Paris. It is during this period that the magnificent Vincent and Theo, originally shot for a four hour television mini-series, Beyond Therapy, Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, which Altman had directed on Broadway, Fool for Love and The Caine Mutiny Court Marshall and other films for television were made Many of these were released very sparsely and most appear today as afterthoughts.

But the old master wasn’t finished yet.

The Player began a strong renaissance of Altman’s work and was a major hit, leading to Short Cuts, Kansas City, Cookie’s Fortune and his last masterpiece Gosford Park.

A true sleeper among this last batch of brilliance was The Gingerbread Man, based on a script by John Grisham and starring Kenneth Branagh. The film went through a very public struggle until Altman’s version was released.

“Gingerbread Man is a wonderful, beautiful film,” Mrs. Altman said. “I remember Bob was particularly proud of that one and he fought with all he had to see it released correctly. We had a wonderful time during production, but it zapped Bob that he had to fight so hard for it.”

Altman would receive an honorary Oscar, direct a final film, A Prairie Home Companion and die. And leave behind a voice as lovely as his own to celebrate his career and catalogue his legacy.

“Actors loved Bob,” said Mrs. Altman. “All the greats in the movie business either worked with him or wanted to – from his stock company of Shelley Duvall and Paul Dooley and Keith Carradine to genuine superstars like Paul Newman, Elliott Gould and Meryl Streep, they all realized that he was a wonderful, gentle spirit who made his actors and his crew part of the family and his family at home part of the crew. That was his genius.”

“Altman,” published by Abrams and available where fine books are sold, could be considered a film lover’s holy grail of a coffee table book. Mine would never serve that purpose – it might mean other people would touch it.

New on Blu-ray & DVD

Kino Lorber is an important distributor of both classics and brand new independent films which, frankly, need to be seen. In their words, the company “brings critically acclaimed classic and contemporary world cinema to discerning audiences, whether in theaters, at home or online.”

In fact, the above discussed The Long Goodbye, on my all time top ten list, as well as Thieves Like Us and Buffalo Bill and the Indians are available there in magnificent Blu-ray editions.

The company also has, in its library, modern day classics, all mostly forgotten gems, like Hickey and Boggs, Last Embrace, John Frankenheimer’s 52 Pickup, based on the Elmore Leonard novel, Billy Wilder’s The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes and too many more to mention, but all that you’ll want. (My Oklahoma City friend and noted attorney Mark Brown regularly hides his credit card bills from the little woman with regard to purchasing masterpieces such as these.)

For May, Kino Lorber announces the Blu-ray and DVD releases of two films by masters of European horror: Mario Bava’s The Evil Eye (along with the alternate European cut, The Girl Who Knew Too Much), about a young woman who launches her own investigation of a murder only to learn that she might be next on the killer’s list, and Jean Rollin’s The Escapees, which follows two female mental patients who have escaped from a hospital and embark on a dreamlike journey across the French countryside.

While we’re on web addresses, here’s a change – one can no longer find these fabulous, one of a kind films of Warner Archive at its old site – you must now go www.wbshop.com to search for these glorious masterpieces. Just for one day I would love to be the person, or on the committee, who decides what films to release and which ones to dangle in front of us mere mortals as “coming soon.”

This month Warner Archive has released the Blu-ray of the magisterial 42nd Street in glorious black and white. You’ve seen copycats of this showbiz masterpiece, and you may have even seen its Broadway incarnation but this is the real deal and it’s a wonderful piece of history that I’ve watched about eight times.

Get these other titles, many of which, even I, your humble servant who knows all, never dreamed existed. The Goldwyn Follies with Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy and the Ritz Brothers, who I still insist, despite negative connotations from those ignorant, are funny; the complete set of Tony Anthony’s (his real name belongs in the forward of The Godfather as these are all Italian westerns) The Stranger and its sequels; Arrow in the Dust, which I would watch just to see its star, Sterling Hayden, as well as my longtime family friend Jimmy Wakely, from Rosedale, Oklahoma; The Marauders with Dan Duryea; Black Patch, starring George Montgomery, who I had dinner with once in Reno, Nevada and Black Gold, with Anthony Quinn, directed by no less than Phil Karlson.

I love a company called Cheezy Flicks – they come up with some real whack job pictures from who knows where, along with the now and again revival of a true forgotten classic. It was from these fine folks that I recently got my copy of the comedy classic Viva Max.

This month is no different – grab these while you can – Summer Heat, a deep and provocative character study which probably played every drive-in in America; Shelter a new post apocalyptic thriller which merits ownership and Chiller 3, which I’m sure can’t much the subtlety and deep human emotions of the first two. They’re fabulous.

Ah, but Cheezy Flicks has found a real sleeper, one totally lost to time, Silver Bears, a somewhat complicated caper with Michael Caine, who I’ve decided might be the greatest leading man in movie history, Louis Jordan, the great Martin Balsam and, get this, legendary comics Tommy Smothers and Jay Leno. If you have never seen this movie, directed by Ivan Passer, who made many wonderful pictures in the 70s, you should purchase this today.

Criterion is the granddaddy of all re release platforms for classic films and, lately, they are batting 1000.

First up is the lost film noir Ride the Pink Horse, in fabulous black and white Blu-ray. This is one that hardly shows up on TCM and is a must own. Directed by its star Robert Montgomery with an Academy award nominated performance from classic character actor Thomas Gomez, the rough tough picture is based on the novel by Dorothy B. Hughes, who also wrote the novel upon which perhaps my favorite Bogart movie, In a Lonely Place was based. There are of course tons of extras.

Another crime thriller, this one from the early 70s, is also receiving the Criterion Blu-ray treatment. The Friends of Eddie Coyle, based on the novel by George V. Higgins, the late, great, George V. Higgins, stars a perpetually weary Robert Mitchum, need we say more, as a low life Boston crime figure in over his head. In fact, wasn’t Mitchum always in over his head. Extras here too and a must own.

The great Jean Paul Belmondo stars in two influential and still wildly funny comedies from the Cohen Collection – the first, That Man from Rio, is a real find and a sight to behold on Blu-ray. This spy spoof released in the throes of James Bondage but plays as fresh as the day it was released. Up to His Ears is also available in this package, another Belmondo classic that has the same sense of humor as some of the wonderful Blake Edwards pictures of the same era.

Also this month from Cohen is a personal favorite – Hotel Sahara, directed by Ken Annakin and starring two time Oscar winner and legendary performer Peter Ustinov, as well as Yvonne De Carlo and David Tomlinson, he of Mary Poppins.

Actually, give this wonderful company a hard look. They love movies and I’m proud to know them.

There are two recent Blu-ray pictures released from Olive Films that I must take the time to discuss, both from the heyday, so it seems, of Republic Pictures.

Stranger at the Door, directed by the William Whitney, the man who no less than Quentin Tarantino says is his supreme influence (also he’s from Oklahoma) is one of the weirdest B picture westerns ever made, and absolutely stunning.

I think this movie had to be one of the first in Hollywood, actually released in 1956, to use generic religion as its key element, with minister MacDonald Carey trying to reform seemingly unredeemable outlaw Skip Homier (an actor who gave it all up and is still among us – he also made an independent feature in Norman, Oklahoma directed by my favorite all time OU professor Ned Hockman). There are some stunts in this film, especially one by what must have been a real wild horse, that are as exciting and cogent as any Avengers picture today. This picture is highly rated and a collector’s item for any lover of the great Hollywood westerns of the 50s.

Also from Olive, is a treasure called The Shanghai Story, which, in 1954, was directed by one of the true giants of American cinema Frank Lloyd, he of the original Mutiny on the Bounty and now almost 20 years later toiling in “B” movies. The Shanghai Story is a distant cousin to Grand Hotel, with a disparate group of western expatriates held prisoner in a Shanghai hotel by the commies. In 90 minutes, this one covers it all and stars noir icon Edmond O’Brien, who that same year would win his Oscar for The Barefoot Contessa and Ruth Roman, a classic Hollywood beauty who had been in Strangers on a Train several years before and worked until her death in the late 70s. Also in this picture is an impossibly young Richard Jaeckel, one of Hollywood’s most reliable character actors.

Also available from Olive is Billy Wilder’s masterful Kiss Me Stupid, which would have been much better had original star Peter Sellers not have taken ill, Without a Clue, a terribly overlooked Sherlock Holmes comedy with Ben Kingsley and, again, a splendid Michael Caine and The Beat Generation, an oddball picture of all oddballs, with Steve Cochran, Ray Danton and Mamie Van Doren.

Our terrific friends at Twilight Time read my dreams. They keep releasing these marvelous Blu-ray extravaganzas in very, very limited qualities. Here’s one I must mention specifically.

The Fortune, I think, was considered a dud when it was hit theaters. It’s not. Talk about your all star team, this period piece, released in the mid 70s starred Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson, both never better, and was directed by Mike Nichols, who I still can’t believe isn’t with us anymore. If any copies of this comedy, which was never on VHS and never plays on TV, remain in the Twilight Time library, get your copy immediately while you still can.

This month Twilight Time makes available The Story of Adele H., Francois Truffaut’s fabulous tale of obsessive love, starring Isabelle Adjani; The Fantisticks, a wonderful transfer of the classic stage musical, directed by Michael Ritchie; a 1930s based Richard III, starring Ian McKellen, re creating his stage role with other cast Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr. and Annette Benning; Pat Boone and Shirley Jones in April Love, with a lovely score by Alfred Newman; Anthony Hopkins’ greatest film portrayal, as the butler Stevens in The Remains of the Day, with Emma Thompson and the legendary English character actor Peter Vaughan, still kicking at 92 and my personal favorite of the lot, the weirdo Zardoz directed by John Boorman and starring Sean Connery.

I’ve mentioned several westerns in this column and, if you are even remotely interested in their cinematic development and the novels upon which they are based, or actually any movie at all, look up my friend Cullen Gallagher. Get on Facebook with him and join the discussion. He and I usually talk… oh, maybe every night, but he’s a young man with both vision and understanding of how that vision was created. He has a wonderful website, pulpsernade.com that he should update more.

Like I should do this column more.

See you at the flix.

- Bud Elder

]]>budelder@thedigitalbits.com (Bud Elder)View from the Cheap SeatsWed, 06 May 2015 11:45:44 -0700Inherent Vice due on 4/28, plus great new catalog BD announcements from Scream, Twilight Time & Olivehttp://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/031615_1201
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/031615_1201

Speaking of reviews, Warner’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and Paramount’s Interstellar are both now in hand, so watch for my own reviews of them in the next few days. [Read on here…]

In announcement news today, Warner Home Video has set the release Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice on Blu-ray and DVD for 4/28. The disc will include “Special Trailers” for Los Paranoias, Shasta Fay, The Golden Fang, and Everything in This Dream. SRP is $35.99 for BD and $28.98 for DVD. You can see the cover artwork to the left and also below.

Anchor Bay Entertainment has set Paddington for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/28 as well.

Lionsgate has set Cymbeline for Blu-ray and DVD release on 5/19.

Scream Factory has announced a whole bunch of new Blu-ray titles, including Scarecrows (1988) on 6/2, double features of The Outing(1987)/The Godsend (1980) and Cellar Dweller (1998)/Catacombs (1998) on 7/14, along with Ghost Town (1998) on 7/28. Jack’s Back (1988) and Nomads (1986) are also on the way, but street dates are still TBA.

Twilight Time has revealed the specs and cover artwork for their April Blu-ray slate (all due on 4/14), which will include April Love (1957 – isolated score track; audio commentary with actors Pat Boone and Shirley Jones and film historian Nick Redman; original theatrical trailer), The Fantasticks (2000 – isolated score track; audio commentary with director Michael Ritchie; audio commentary with actress Jean Louisa Kelly and Broadway authority Bruce Kimmel; audio commentary with journalist Chris Willman and film historian Nick Redman, original cut of the film in Standard Definition; original theatrical trailer), The Remains of the Day (1993 – isolated score track; audio commentary with director James Ivory, producer Ismail Merchant and actress Emma Thompson; The Remains of the Day: The Filmmakers’ Journey; Blind Loyalty, Hollow Honor: England’s Fatal Flaw; Love and Loyalty: The Making of The Remains of the Day; deleted scenes with optional director commentary; original theatrical trailer), Richard III (1995 – isolated score track; original theatrical trailer), The Story of Adèle H (1975 – isolated score track; audio commentary with film historians Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman; original theatrical trailer), and Zardoz (1974 – isolated score track; audio commentary with director John Boorman; audio commentary with film historians Jeff Bond, Joe Fordham and Nick Redman; radio spots; original theatrical trailer). All are editions limited to 3,000 units. Pre-orders open next Wednesday, 3/25, at 1 PM PST on Screen Archives Entertainment and TCM Shop. I have to say, Twilight has really been doing terrific work of late. Feast your eyes on their amazing cover artwork for Zardoz and The Fantasticks...!

Also today, Olive Films has set It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958), Flawless (1999), Peter Benchley’s Creature (1998), and Extremities (1986) for Blu-ray release on 5/19, with Yellowbeard (1983), Ski School (1990), and Erik the Viking (1989) set to follow on 5/26.

RLJ and Image have set Adam Green’s Digging Up the Marrow for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/24.

We’ll leave you today with more new cover artwork. As always, clicking on the covers will take you to the Amazon pre-order pages for each title, if available (and ordering through our links helps support The Bits!)...

Sorry, I’ve not been here. I missed a bit – I’ll admit it and it for sure wasn’t to do with health or disinterest or a lack in passion. I just had to do stuff. But now I’m back.

But I come with good stories. Specifically regarding how movie awards season works. [Read on here...]

I learned a valuable lesson this year. I love the Oscars not for the telecast or the fashions or even really the stars. I want to watch because it’s American cultural history – a snapshot of our world at that moment the “Best Picture” award is given. And, like everyone else, I have my favorites and what I felt over time were disingenuous selections. Kramer vs. Kramer over Apocalypse Now? Dustin Hoffman in KvK over Peter Sellers in Being There? Sally Field over Bette Midler? And movies I find have no place alongside Casablanca, Gigi, In the Heat of the Night and Out of Africa such as A Beautiful Mind, The Artist and The King’s Speech?

I used to really care about that stuff.

Now I get it. These awards are not given to what will later be judged as the true best picture of that particular year. Remember, Raging Bull didn’t win “Best Picture.”

It’s all about the campaign. Here’s an example.

Early on in the fall I received a screener for the Warner Brothers’ prestige picture The Judge, starring Robert Downey, Robert Duvall and Billy Bob Thornton. I had already seen the movie in the theater and knew it for the dud it was. Robert Duvall is so precious to watch that I would nominate him for anything in which he appears. But this movie was so pedestrian that even could the acting legend save it; I would be hard pressed to nominate him at all since the movie was so crappy.

And in my mind, the race to watch this year is that of “Supporting Actor.” You have Ed Norton, J.K. Simmons, Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke plus several contenders like Tommy Lee Jones, Martin Short, Josh Brolin and others. All from cutting edge, potentially legendary movies. Then there’s The Judge and Robert Duvall.

First, I got the screener. For those of you who have never seen an awards screener, they come in a special package with a listing of who the studio feels should be nominated for any particular award, actually, it is now all contractual with the actors, directors and below the line specialists. So for The Judge it lists the producers to be nominated for “Best Picture,” Downey as “Best Actor,” and Duvall and Billy Bob in the “Supporting Actor” column. I blew them all off. The Judge was a wasted opportunity in my book.

But then I started getting calls, and emails and autographed posters and it was daily, non-stop. All campaigning for Duvall.

And sure enough, when the BFCA nominations came out, there he was. And he was there for every other awards show where nominations are given.

This isn’t against Robert Duvall at all. They should give him 20 Oscars.

You remember Albert Brooks in a terrific movie called Drive? He won every critics award but was shut out for an Oscar nomination No I know how idiotic things like that happen. Last year, the same thing happened to Robert Redford for All Is Lost.

Now, for this year’s movies, there have been some dandies. Here are the mini reviews that I do on KRXO radio here in Oklahoma City.

Whiplash

Like the driving rhythms of the big band jazz music it celebrates, Whiplash is brassy, bold, inventive and terribly fun. We’ve seen the plot before – young musician works his fingers to the bone, in this case, literally, to make it to the top. This picture carries more exuberance than any picture I’ve seen in yours. It is my sincere hope that it finds a wide audience and, perhaps the fact that J.K. Simmons as a ruthless music educator is a lock for a best supporting actor Oscar might give this little movie the recognition is deserves.

The Homesman

The Homesman is the most underrated movie of the past decade. Tommy Lee Jones directs and stars in this elegiac, leisurely paced, matter of fact western that offers twists and turns at every step. Of special recognition is Hilary Swank. A friend of mine once said that there are actors that should be retired from Oscar consideration – I think Swank and Jones both fit into this category. Based on a book by Glendon Swarthout, who also wrote The Shootist this is a movie that will for sure find its audience. A little masterpiece.

Foxcatcher

A National Enquirer story given a New Yorker treatment. And with an OU connection to boot – all seen through the eyes of Bennett Miller who, after Capote and Moneyball is slowly, quietly become one of America’s finest writer directors. This is a true crime story, to be sure, but it’s really about society and the American class system. Not to be missed

The Imitation Game

Blah, blah, blah. This WWII story, perhaps one of the most important of the 20th century is told with such sense of windbagedness that it almost becomes irrelevant. Everybody acts wonderfully, the story is told with great care and even it’s most lurid moments are so sanitized that you think you’re watching with the Queen. Not bad at all, some really like it and I certainly appreciate its intentions but, yawn.

Selma

I got this one not at all. Actually, it’s no better than a CBS TV Movie starring Ben Vereen and Art Carney. John Frankheimer’s Wallace mini-series told the story more effectively. Sort of ridiculous dialogue, plot miscues and absolutely nonsensical scenes. Let’s not mistake this exploitation picture for the real event. Let’s opt for a re-viewing of Malcom X instead.

Nightcrawler

A massive indictment of the American media. We’re talking comparisons to Network here. Jake Gyllenhall plays what turns out to be an obsequious male component of the Faye Dunaway character in that classic 1976 Sidney Lumet film. Satire is on the plate here and it’s a full course meal.

American Sniper

An all American flag waver, and yet another tribute to the skills, the incomparable skills of Clint Eastwood as a consummate filmmaker. This movie was rushed into production and there are times that it is apparent, but one has to marvel at its construction, pacing and sense of purpose. So what if the fake baby is a tad too obvious? Steven Spielberg had been scheduled to direct and one can only imagine the sentimental slop he would have made of this material

Inherent Vice

The fist movie you’ll ever walk out of with a contact high. This loopy, paranoid, sexually deviant nod to both the California coast at the time and the classic Raymond Chandler private detective story is one for the ages in the eyes of this reviewer. There are those I’m sure who would call this “Incoherent Vice” as the plot details remind us of the Bob Segar classic Night Moves. Working on mysteries without any clues.”

Birdman

So original, fast and thrilling, one is prompted to watch it twice a day. With its rat a tat tat soundtrack, a frenetic show stopping performance by Michael Keaton and a whole slew of maniacs running around backstage like they were in a third rate touring company of Noises Off, you’ll need to take a downer after the final credits. There’s more energy, creativity and insight into the dynamic business that is show than any 100 movies. A keeper for the ages.

Still Alice

TV movie claptrap. After magnificent contributions to films from Short Cuts to End of the Affair to especially Far From Heaven this is for what Julienne Moore wins an Oscar?

Into the Woods

Sublime. This film adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical is a treasure and a box office hit to boot. Of the perfect cast, Emily Blunt hits the highest note, but it’s all good, all wonderful.

Here’s my general state of the union messaging regarding the release of classic films on home video – we’re living in a renaissance. It all, I’m sure, comes down to the bottom line – these titles are selling, however, it always does take somewhat of a leap of faith in the constant struggle between art and commerce, to do the right thing by these sometimes lost pieces of the world cultural puzzle.

New on Blu-ray and DVD

The fine folks at Olive Films have gone into overdrive, releasing a slew of rare classics that come to us as a gift from heaven.

Track the Man Down, from 1955, is a splendid and totally lost crime film, directed by R.G. “Buddy” Springsteen (who was, by the way, Dale Robertson’s favorite director ever.) This picture stars Broadway legend George Rose and British music icon Petulia Clark and it’s a monster find.

The Woman They Almost Lynched, is a western directed by the late Allan Dwan and starring these champion “B” actors Joan Leslie, Brian Donlevy, Audrey Totter and John Lund.

World For Ransom, which is somewhat of a minor classic, directed by legendary filmmaker Robert Aldrich and starring Dan Duryea and, yes, Nigel Bruce. World For Ransom is an absolute must see.

Coming soon from Olive are titles such as Without a Clue, one of my favorite comedies, with Ben Kinglsey and Michael Caine (if you haven’t seen this one, you’re missing a delight); Billy Wilder’s infamous Kiss Me Stupid with Dean Martin; The Night They Raided Minsky’s, with Jason Robards and Britt Eckland and Best Seller, starring James Woods and Brian Dennehy.

Twilight Time –This company is absolutely firing on all cylinders, putting out so many lost and deserted classics to pristine Blu-ray that it defies imagination.

First of all, I have to personally thank my friends at TT for releasing what I think is a lost masterpiece of 70s comedy – The Fortune, directed by Mike Nichols and starring no less than Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty. How can this be lost? No idea but it’s damn funny – I saw it in the theater like ten times. If you don’t know it, The Fortune as good as you would hope it would be.

Another personal favorite – Otto Preminger’s Bunny Lake is Missing an absolutely terrifying thriller from the early sixties that features a rare, non showy lead role for Olivier, which would make this worth watching even if one weren’t trying to figure out the ending. This is a must see.

Also among Twilight Time’s new releases are the Elvis Presley/Don Siegel western Flaming Star, The Twilight Samurai, the animated masterpiece When the Wind Blows, Stanley Kramer’s massive Judgment at Nuremberg, which still shocks after some 50 years and John Frankenheimer’s Birdman of Alcatraz, which features perhaps Burt Lancaster’s greatest role along with, wearing hair, Telly Savalas.

Remember Twilight Time movies are in stunning, restored Blu-ray and only 3,000 copies of each are made. Go to screenarchives.com and, as well, like twlighttimemovies on Facebook.

I must also include a “must see” from screenarchives.com

Redwind Productions in association with Cinerama brings us for the very first time, a lost and remastered 70mm treat – Michael Todd Jr’s Holiday in Spain, which stars Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas and Denhom Elliot. Wow! Originally titled Scent of Mystery, this movie was released in Smell of Vision. Sounds like John Waters’ Polyester! This movie has been considered lost for 50 years!

Warner Archive sort of settled down their rampaging release schedule, turning instead to some of Warner Brothers’ early DVD releases and fixing their aspect ratios and other restorations – titles here include The Man With Two Brains.

Other new releases include some Spencer Tracy/Jimmy Stewart early talkies, including The Murder Man; The Wild Affair a comedy with Terry-Thomas and Nancy Kawn and Born Reckless, with Mamie Van Doren!

Go to warnerarchive.com – their new releases come up every Tuesday

Here’s a personal favorite from SHOUT! factory – the complete 1968 Live at Boston Garden James Brown concert as depicted, in part, in the singer’s new biopic, Get On Up. I got to see the “Godfather of Soul” twice and met him once and am an unabashed fan. How about this? In Oklahoma City, we have an actual living, breathing Bittersweet!

Also from SHOUT! is the complete series of Sergeant Bilko/The Phil Silvers Show – this series was lost to me – the reruns never played when I was a kid – but they’re hilarious.

And I must also mention UHF, cult movie of all cult movies, starring “Weird” Al Yankovic and produced by Oklahoma’s own Gray Frederickson. This movie was filmed in Tulsa.

Visit shoutfactory.com for other titles.

Finally, Flicker Alley has released a honest to goodness true oddity – Search for Paradise and Seven Wonders of the World, both made for Cinerama, the three projection wide screen process which was also employed by How the West Was Won and 2001. These Blu-rays have extras out the wazoo and are for sure keepers.

Flickeralley.com – I must, before we move on, mention a new novel called The Long and Faraway Gone, written by my friend Lou Berney and set all in Oklahoma City. Seriously, how does one tell a good friend they have written one of the great books of all time? Without it sounding sycophantic? This book has already won rare raves from both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus and is already the Amazon “Book of the Month” for February. I promise you will love this book. I’m holding out for a decent part when the movie is cast!

We’re closing out the first week of 2015 with a big wave of Blu-ray release announcements featuring great classic and catalog film titles. Let’s jam right into it… [Read on here…]

The fun starts with Scream Factory, which has just officially set Invaders from Mars (1986) for Blu-ray release on 4/7, followed by Class of 1984: Collector’s Edition (1982) and Carrie/The Rage: Carrie 2 (2002/1999) on 4/14, and Ghoulies/Ghoulies II (1984/1988) and a new Escape from New York: Collector’s Edition (1981) on 4/21.

Scream! Factory join in with announcements of Breathless (1986) on Blu-ray on 4/7, followed by Eddie and the Cruisers/Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! (1983/1989) on 4/15, and Deep in the Darkness (2014) and Breakin’/Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984/1985) on 4/21.

Olive Films has also checked in today with a big batch of catalog Blu-ray announcements, including Chattahoochee (1989), Best Seller (1987), and Convicts (1991) on 3/24, and What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966), Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986), The Dirty Dozen: Deadly Mission/The Dirty Dozen: Fatal Mission (1985/1987), Night Game (1989), How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980), Behind Enemy Lines (1997), Alice’s Restaurant (1969), Without a Clue (1988), and The Facts of Life (1960) on 3/31.

Arrow Films adds to this with announcements of Blind Woman’s Curse (1970), Mark of the Devil (1970), and Day of Anger (1967) on 3/24.

Scorpion Releasing tosses in Firepower (1979) on Blu-ray on 3/10, followed by David and Lisa (1962) on 3/31.

And finally, Kino Lorber has set Vice and Virtue (1963) for Blu-ray release on 3/17.

We’ll leave you with a look at the cover artwork for nine of the above mentioned titles, all of which are available for pre-order on Amazon.com by clicking on the covers…

That’s all for now. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

And in release news today, Olive Films has announced another great new batch of catalog film Blu-rays for release on 2/24, including Dangerously Close, Blood Red, William Friedkin’s The Night They Raided Minsky’s, and Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman.

Back with more news and at least one more Blu-ray review tomorrow, before we close out for the Christmas holiday. Stay tuned!

Today’s update is going to be a quick one, as we’re working on a big new View from the Cheap Seats column from our own Bud Elder that we expect to have up tomorrow afternoon. So be sure to watch for it. [Read on here…]

The main piece of announcement news today is that Disney has officially confirmed the release of Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Blu-ray 3D Combo, Blu-ray Combo and DVD on 9/9. But for some reason Amazon isn’t taking pre-orders yet. Go figure.

Meanwhile, as we’ve mentioned before, Synapse Films has a Prom Night: Special Edition coming on 9/9 as well. You can see the cover artwork on the left.

And Olive Films has announced their September Blu-ray and DVD slate, which is set to include The Big Operator (1959) on 9/16, Distant Drums (1951) and South of St. Louis (1949) on 9/23, and TT: Closer to the Edge (Blu-ray 3D) and Betty Boop: The Essential Collection – Volume 4 (1932-38) on 9/30. On DVD only they also have Shame the Devil due on 9/9, followed by Honour on 9/16, and Daisy: A Hen Into the Wild on 9/23.

Here’s the Blu-ray Disc cover art for Warner’s Transcendence (due 7/22), and the new Diamond Luxe Editions of The Green Mile and Natural Born Killers (both 9/30)…

All right, there was no update yesterday because I was up in L.A. checking out Robert Harris’ recent restoration tests of The Alamo with my own two eyes. Despite what MGM has claimed officially, let me assure you, having now seen the tests firsthand – which the studio has apparently not done yet for some strange reason (and how weird is that?) – this film is in serious need of restoration. The good news, however, is that I’ve also seen tests of how good the film could look like if given a restoration. The result would easily be worth theatrical presentation and a solid Blu-ray release. So keep spreading the word and keep the pressure on the studio. Fingers crossed. [Read on here…]

We’ve got more announcement news to report today...

First up, Starz and Anchor Bay have set Spartacus: The Complete Series for Blu-ray and DVD release on 9/16 (SRP 149.99 and $119.98). There’s also a limited edition BD box that comes packaged with a “Spartacus collector’s figurine” for $199.99. All 39 episodes will be included, encompassing the complete Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Spartacus: Vengeance, and Spartacus: War of the Damned. In addition to all the previous extras, you’ll also get all-new content including 5 new featurettes (Spartacus Fan Favorites with Liam McIntyre, Scoring a Hit: Composer Joseph LoDuca, An Eye Full: Roger Murray, Spartacus: Paul Grinder, and The Last Word: John Hannah).

Meanwhile, Anchor Bay and The Weinstein Company have set The Railway Man for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/12. The film stars Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman (SRP $34.99 and $39.98). A digital only version will be available starting on 8/2. Extras on the Blu-ray will include The Making of The Railway Man featurette and audio commentary with director Jonathan Teplitzky and co-writer/producer Andy Paterson.

Olive Films has announced its August release slate, set to include Magnificent Doll (1946 – BD & DVD), That’s My Man (1947 – BD & DVD) on 8/19, and I’ve Always Loved You (1946 – BD & DVD) and High School Confidential (1958 – BD & DVD) on 8/26. In terms of more recent films, Olive has Fanie Fourie’s Lobola (2014) coming on DVD only on 8/12 and It Was You Charlie (2014) coming on DVD on 8/26.

Also today, Scream Factory has officially announced the Blu-ray/DVD Combo release of the Motel Hell: Collector’s Edition on 8/12. Extras will include new audio commentary with director Kevin Connor moderated by filmmaker Dave Parker, 2 new featurettes (It Takes All Kinds: The Making of Motel Hell and Shooting Old School with Cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth), plus legacy features including 3 featurettes (Another Head on the Chopping Block, From Glamour to Gore, and Ida, Be Thy Name), a photo gallery and the theatrical trailer.

Lionsgate will release Cesar Chavez on Blu-ray, DVD and digital on 7/22. Extras on the BD will include the Making of Cesar Chavez documentary.

Millennium Entertainment has announced the 8/5 release of Ping Pong Summer on Blu-ray and DVD.

Well Go USA Entertainment has set Dragonwolf for Blu-ray and DVD release on 7/29.

Cinedigm will release Antboy on DVD on 7/22.

Midnight Releasing has set Sanctuary: Quite a Conundrum for release on DVD and digital on 8/26.

Inception Media has The Junior Spy Agency coming on DVD on 7/15, followed by Aerial America: Southwest Collection on Blu-ray on 7/22, and Shark Collection and Gangster on DVD only on 7/22 as well.

And Disinformation will release the documentary Boredom on DVD on 8/12 (SRP $19.98).

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Spartacus: The Complete Series (both versions), The Railway Man, and Motel Hell…

In release news today, we have more details on Sony’s 7/1 Blu-ray and DVD release of Helix: The Complete First Season. Both versions will include audio commentary on Pilot with Billy Campbell and Cameron Porsandeh, audio commentary on Dans L’Ombre with Billy Campbell and Steven Maeda, 4 featurettes (Ronald D. Moore: The Outlier of Science Fiction, The Future of Disease, The Art of Isolation, and Dissecting the Characters), deleted scenes, and outtakes. To this, the Blu-ray will add a pair of additional featurettes (Writing the Tension and Fabricating the Plague). You’ll find the cover artwork below.

We also have details on the extras you’ll find on Fox’s forthcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel on 6/17. You’ll get the 4-part The Making of the Grand Budapest Hotel documentary (including Part 1: The Story, Part 2: The Society of the Crossed Keys, Part 3: Creating The Hotel, and Part 4: Creating a World), 6 additional featurettes (Bill Murray Tours The Town, Kunstmuseum Zubrowka Lecture, The Society of the Crossed Keys, Mendl’s Secret Recipe, Cast, and Wes Anderson), a stills gallery, and the film’s theatrical trailer. Again, you’ll find the cover artwork below.

In another announcement news today, our friends at Olive Films have announced their July Blu-ray and DVD release slate, which is set to include Operation Petticoat (Blu-ray and DVD), So This Is New York (Blu-ray and DVD), and Good Sam (Blu-ray and DVD) on 7/1, Mr. Peabody and The Mermaid (Blu-ray and DVD), Caught (Blu-ray and DVD), and The Lost Moment (Blu-ray and DVD) on 7/8, Arch of Triumph (Blu-ray and DVD) and Armored Attack / The North Star (Blu-ray and DVD) on 7/15, Forever Female (Blu-ray and DVD) and The Other Love (Blu-ray and DVD) on 7/22, and finally Daisy: A Hen in the Wild (DVD only) on 7/29. We’ve included cover art for a few of these titles below.

Anchor Bay Entertainment has set AMC’s short-lived Low Winter Sun: The Complete Series for DVD only release on 8/12 (SRP $49.98). The set will include all 10 episodes, along with deleted scenes, featurettes on each episode, and 3 additional featurettes (including A Look at Low Winter Sun, Detroit Grit, and Designing the Precinct).

PBS Distribution has set the British sitcom Vicious for DVD release on 7/8 (SRP $29.99). It stars Sir Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi.

Lionsgate has set the CG-animated Wings: Sky Force Heroes for DVD only release on 7/8.

Cinedigm will release The Motel Life on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/3, starring Emile Hirsch and Dakota Fanning. They also have Midrange coming on DVD and digital on 6/10.

Hen’s Tooth Video will release Escape to Athena on DVD only on 7/1.

Uncork’d Entertainment has set the horror film Neverlake for DVD release on 7/29.

And Cult Epics will release George Barry’s 1977 horror film Death Bed: The Bed That Eats on Blu-ray on 6/3.

So the big news today is that Warner Home Video has announced their Batman 75th Anniversary celebration plans. As many of you know, the character first appeared in the comic book Detective Comics #27, which hit newsstands on March 30, 1939. That makes this Sunday the character’s official 75th Anniversary. And if the deliberate leak by WHV earlier this year (with assist by Conan O’Brien) wasn’t official enough, the studio has now confirmed that the classic Adam West and Burt Ward Batman ‘66 TV series will arrive on Blu-ray and DVD this year, though they are still yet to announce a street date (we suspect you’ll hear more at Warner’s Batman 75th panel at WonderCon in Anaheim next month, or at San Diego Comic-Con in July). Warner has also set the all-new animated films Son of Batman for release on BD/DVD on 5/6, followed by Assault on Arkham this summer. Warner also has a pair of new animated shorts coming this year from Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) and Darwyn Cooke (Batman Beyond). You’ll get a new Batman: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release of the Tim Burton film. Obviously, there’s the new Gotham TV series coming to FOX later this year. And production begins this year on the new Batman vs. Superman feature film. Lotta Batman for one year. We’d sure love to see the Bruce Timm animated series find its way to Blu-ray this year, but no sign of it yet. Anyway... [Read on here...]

Meanwhile, our friends at Shout! Factory – specifically their Scream Factory label – have now fully announced their “Summer of Fear” Blu-ray/DVD release slate, which is set to include Final Exam (5/13), Evilspeak (5/13), Nosferatu the Vampyre (5/20), House in the Alley, and Sleepaway Camp: Collector’s Edition (5/13) in May, Ravenous (6/3) and The Monkey’s Paw (6/17) in June, The Final Terror, Lake Placid: Collector’s Edition, Deadly Eyes, and Ginger Snaps: Collector’s Edition in July, and Phantom of the Paradise: Collector’s Edition (8/5), Motel Hell: Collector’s Edition, Leviathan, The Legend of Hell House, Dog Soldiers: Collector’s Edition and Without Warning (a JET’s Most Wanted title for sure) in August! That’s an A-List B-Grade slate if ever we saw one! Phantom of the Paradise?! Awesome.

Also today, we have word that Paramount is re-soliciting all of the Transformers movies on Blu-ray on 6/3, including a Trilogy box set, as part of the build-up to the new sequel Transformers: Age of Extinction which hits theaters in June.

Universal has set Curious George: The Complete Seventh Season for DVD release on 6/3.

Are there any rock ‘n’ roll fans in the house? Eagle Rock Entertainment is releasing the Dio: Live in London – Hammersmith Apollo 1993 concert on Blu-ray on 5/13.

Video Services Corp has set the star-filled Sunset Strip documentary for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/22.

And here’s something interesting. First there was the BBC’s Wonders documentary series with Brian Cox (Wonders of the Solar System, Wonders of the Universe, Wonders of Life), then the new Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey with Neil deGrasse Tyson (there’s a new episode this Sunday night on Fox!). Now James Cameron and Showtime have teamed up to produce a new eight-part science series called Years of Living Dangerously on the impacts of climate change. The series debuts on Sunday 4/13 on Showtime, and we would imagine it will find its way to Blu-ray and DVD soon after it finished airing. Looking forward to it. Here’s a trailer...

{youtube}9O2kkpFfwfU|610|343{/youtube}

We’ll leave you today with a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Olive’s Flying Tigers, Home of the Brave and Love Happy, as well as a sneak peek at the art for Scream’s Without Warning, Phantom of the Paradise and Leviathan…

All right, that’s all for this week. If you’re looking for something to do at the movies this weekend, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah opens (anyone who has seen Pi knows or The Fountain knows Aronofsky’s a pretty interesting filmmaker) and I think Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel goes into wider release too. Plus there’s the Final Four if you’re a fan of college basketball.

So have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday with some very cool new Blu-ray reviews. Stay tuned!

All right, we’ve got some more announcement news for you today. Just a smattering of odds and ends...

First up, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release That Awkward Moment on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/13. Extras will include character profiles, a gag reel and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

Olive Films has set The Bamboo Saucer (1966), Cry Danger (1951), Bang! Bang! You’re Dead! (1966), and Young at Heart (1954) for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/8, followed by Men in War (1957) and Sleep My Love (1948) on 4/15, and The Pawnbroker (1964), Stranger on the Prowl (1952) on 4/22, and Up the Junction (1968) and Betty Boop: The Essential Collection – Volume 3 (1932-38) on 4/29. All will be released on both Blu-ray and DVD. [Read on here…]

The BBC (via Warner) will release Brazil with Michael Palin on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/10 (SRP $29.98 and $24.98).

Warner meanwhile will release The Outsiders: The Complete Novel Edition on Blu-ray on 6/3 (SRP $19.98). Features will give you the opportunity to Watch The Outsiders with Director Francis Ford Coppola, and you’ll get a number of featurettes and trailers.

Warner will also release the WWI Centennial Commemoration Collection DVD box set on 7/22 (SRP $29.93), set to include The Big Parade, Sergeant York, Wings, and Dawn Patrol. And they have the Ocean’s Trilogy Collection coming to Blu-ray on 5/13 (SRP $39.96), including all three films, a disc of bonus features, a deck of playing cards, and disc.

Well Go USA Entertainment has set Eastern Bandits for Blu-ray and DVD release on 5/27 (SRP $29.98 and $24.98).

Image Entertainment will release the romantic comedy Chances Are on Blu-ray on 4/22.

Wolfe Video will release the documentary I Am Divine on DVD only on 4/8, with digital release on 4/1.

Icarus Films will release The Great Flood on DVD on 5/20, which is a documentary about the great 1927 Mississippi River Flood.

For you fans of MST3K, it’s looking like the nest DVD box set in the series from Shout!, Volume XXX, will feature the following episodes: The Black Scorpion (#113), Outlaw (#519), The Projected Man (#901), and It Lives by Night (#1010). This per the official fan site via own Tim Salmons.

And for music fans, Sony Legacy will release Billy Joel: A Matter of Trust – The Bridge to Russia Concert on Blu-ray on 5/20.

In announcement news, Olive Films have 108 Media have announced a new multi-year distribution partnership, starting in June with the titles Honour and Autumn Blood. Future titles will include Daisy: The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly, Fugly!, and Shame the Devil. [Read on here…]

Meanwhile, PBS has set The Making of a Lady for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/15, along with Between the Lions: Vowel Power, NOVA: Killer Typhoon, and The Hidden Art of Islam on DVD only.

Warner and the BBC will release Doctor Who: An Adventure in Space & Time on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/27. The BBC has also set Call the Midwife: Season Three for Blu-ray and DVD release on 5/20.

And here’s something cool: Flicker Alley is preparing for the Blu-ray release of Cinerama: Seven Wonders of the World this fall. Thanks to Bits reader Bill M. for the heads-up!

Here’s a look at the DVD art for Warner’s Longmire: The Complete Second Season (due 5/13), Blu-ray cover art for the two Gamera titles, plus Fox’s Still Mine and The Deep End (due 5/6), and BBC’s Doctor Who: An Adventure in Space and Time…

Most film columnists start writing their Christmas pieces around August, churning out their memories of It’s a Wonderful Life (which is a story in itself – this generation has no idea that the film was considered an oddity and a flop until Jimmy Stewart mentioned it on The Tonight Show and, as it was in the public domain and available for cheap airings, it has since been considered a “classic”) and other routine movies that just happen to tell a Christmas like story. Movies like Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas in Connecticut still hold up and there are others I’m sure that do as well, but few movies that are singularly about Christmas float my boat. I’ve seen them a million times and most are creaky. Here are my favorite Christmas movies, a list my successful and thoughtful brother calls Christmas Movies for People Who Aren’t Enamored with Christmas Movies. [Read on here…]

My favorite Christmas movie is Pocketful of Miracles, from MGM in 1961. I’m surprised that even my film-knowledgeable friends aren’t familiar with this one. It has run on TCM and it’s a treasure.

Pocketful of Miracles, like The Man Who Knew Too Much, was a late career remake, by the original director, of a 1930s hit. The Man Who Knew Too Much was Hitchcock’s 1956 remake of his same titled 1943 English film. Pocketful of Miracles was a remake of 1933’s Lady for a Day and both films were directed by, yes, Frank Capra. The It’s a Wonderful Life Frank Capra.

Based on a story from writer Damon Runyon (Guys and Dolls and many other films were based on his work) Pocketful of Miracles is the story of Apple Annie, a denizen of “Runyonland” who modestly sells apples on the street, while, in the meantime, spending all her hard earned funds to keep her beautiful daughter living in luxury. When the daughter announces her engagement to a gentleman of society and that she’s bringing her new in-laws to visit Annie’s wonderful home, the con is on with Dave the Dude, who is a gambler and regular customer of Annie’s (her apples bring him luck) spearheading Apple Annie’s transformation into a society matron. What happens next gives anyone who believes in miracles, or, yes, the power of movies, goose bumps.

While the plot of the picture is seamless, most of the charm of Pocketful for Miracles comes from its cast, a rare mix, at the time, of classic film character actors and some serious new faces who would become stars for the rest of their careers.

Glenn Ford both produced and starred in the film as Dave the Dude. Actually Capra wanted either Sinatra or Dean Martin for the role and, of course, Sinatra had a huge hit with the song from the film, however, Ford’s production company helped fund the picture so he got the part. Bette Davis played Apple Annie only after, why I don’t know, Shirley Booth and Helen Hayes turned it down.

Peter Falk was the only actor in the cast to get nominated and, looking back, he should have won. It was one of the two nominations he received, the other for Murder Inc.

If you haven’t experienced this fabulous picture, stop reading my crap and get it before, during and after the holidays.

Some of my other non-Christmas Christmas films include:

3 Godfathers – the John Ford/John Wayne version from 1948. Is this a lost film? Does TCM air? Know it is on DVD.

Comfort and Joy – a delightful comedy from underemployed screenwriter/director Bill Forsythe that entails an ice cream war in Scotland.

The Thin Man – Enough said.

The Apartment – Ditto.

The Shop Around the Corner – In my mind the REAL Jimmy Stewart Christmas movie

and…

Gremlins – Does the next generation know this subversive hoot?

Here’s another point upon which I wish to touch. What are your favorite movies that, while not necessarily reflecting the holiday, you first saw on Christmas day?

For us, there’s no question. On Christmas Day of 1973, our parents drove us 45 minutes to Oklahoma City and the grand, newly refurbished Plaza Theater. The first preview was for a movie we knew they’d never in a billion years let us see (remember when parents did that?) called Magnum Force and I can still remember being knocked out by the car crashing into to that extended log from the back of a truck, implying decapitation to the bad guy.

Then we heard, for the first time in our lives, Scott Joplin.

I don’t think, to this day, I have ever enjoyed a movie more than The Sting. Is it forgotten today? Does it hold up?

Here are some tidbits about The Sting. Redford (who features prominently in the next View from the Cheap Seats) got the script first and turned it down. Then both Nicholson and Beatty were courted before Redford took it back. Newman was cast after director George Roy Hill decided to direct, thus re-teaming the magic of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Henry Bumstead, the greatest decorator of all time and a man I got to know well (and who will be the subject of another column) did all the set work on the lot at Universal. The late great Richard Boone was the first choice for Lonnegan, the part that eventually went to Robert Shaw. And how about this – the “wife” in the picture that Kid Twist puts on his desk, was none other than classic character actress Kathleen Freeman, who I had the privilege of meeting when she enjoyed her comeback in Broadway’s The Full Monty.

Probably the most anticipated film of my life was Paramount and Disney production of Popeye, and my crew, which included my brother, my dearest friend, the late, Allen Saied and his sister, my precious Sharon Saied Razook and Tony Burkhead sailed in to the Apollo Twin theater in Midwest City, Oklahoma Christmas Day. I made them get there an hour early.

Popeye has always been my cartoon character. He is all over my house. At that time (and, of course, now), Robert Altman was everyone’s favorite filmmaker. We had just experienced A Wedding and A Perfect Couple, both hoots, when Popeye was filming. And after hearing rumors of Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin or Gilda Radner, Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall seemed perfect.

And then it opened. I have never wanted to like a movie more and, to be honest, I could have been nothing but disappointed. Then I saw it again, and again, and again. Popeye is probably the movie I have seen the most times in a theater. Then I got the VHS, then I got the DVD. Except for a weak, “we’re out of budget” ending, Popeye is a gem for the ages – the perfect combination of the cartoon’s legacy and Altman’s genius. Leonard Maltin gives it a “BOMB” rating. I don’t. It’s in my top ten of all time.

Our family, and I think the studios, tried to recapture the spirit of The Sting during the Christmas season of 1975 with a totally forgotten movie called The Black Bird, a comedy spoof/sequel of The Maltese Falcon. But it was a dud, starring George Segal as Sam Spade Jr. and even Lee Patrick and Elisha Cook reprising their Maltese Falcon roles.

NEW ON DISC

Shout! Factory has given us the gift of all gifts with the release of the entire Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman TV series. Get this – there are all 325 episodes on 38 DVDs and there is not an episode without a gut busting laugh. There has been nothing like this show before or since. It was a syndicated, daily soap opera spoof that spawned the careers of Louise Lasser (in fairness she was Woody Allen’s ex wife), Mary Kay Place, Dabney Coleman and, perhaps most of all, the comic genius Martin Mull. The show was produced by Norman Lear, he of All in the Family. The box set is full of treasures, including ten episodes of Mary Hartman’s spin off show Fernwood 2 Nite, which was the first time we heard of this comedy team – Martin Mull and Fred Willard. Just the fact that Shout! Factory has made this happen is enough, but what about a complete series of Fernwood 2 Nite and its follow up series America 2 Nite? Go to shoutfactory.com and get this ordered now.

Twilight Time is back at it, producing Blu-rays so quickly that my column can’t keep up. From late November, we have restorations of The Way We Were, Jayne Eyre and Oliver! (see Bill’s review here), which is, I think, my favorite movie musical. This month we have an incredibly rare gem called Royal Flash directed by Richard Lester, starring Malcolm McDowell and adapted from the work of George MacDonald Fraser, who wrote 12 novels featuring the swashbuckling character and two Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. I talked recently to co-founder Nick Redman for a future column on Sam Peckinpah and heard about some of their upcoming releases. Like Twilight Time on Facebook or go to screenarchives.com.

Warner Archive keeps bringing the classics each week. The last batch included the two Jack Benny films that the comedian joked about the rest of his life – George Washington Slept Here and The Horn Blows at Midnight. Both are terrific.

Olive Films just knocks me out. They find orphaned films and meticulously release them on Blu-ray. Twilight’s Last Gleaming is one of the most secretly controversial films of all time – to be honest, have you seen it? Directed by the late great Robert Aldrich, the picture stars a terrific Burt Lancaster as a disgruntled military man who takes over a nuclear launch site. What happens throughout is the reason so few recognize this film as a classic. There’s also A New Leaf which is supposed to be a shadow of what the audiences of 1971 were supposed to have seen, offers Walter Matthau and Elaine May in two classic comedic performances. Also from Olive is 1945’s The Bells of St. Mary’s a sequel to Going My Way with, of course, Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman; Riot a wonderful 1969 prison picture directed by Buzz Kulik with Jim Brown and Gene Hackman; and Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, which, along with White Heat showcases Cagney at his craziest.

One more mention. A dear friend of mine, here in Oklahoma City, has overcome impossible odds to create and produce an uplifting, wonderful Christmas special. Darla Z’s Christmas ‘Round the World has, or will, enjoy over 100 airings on public television stations throughout the country. Darla called on Bob Rozario, a famous Las Vegas musician, to create arrangements and co write, along with Darla, some timeless new Christmas music. Now available on DVD, this special is an outstanding, extravagant holiday masterpiece! I know Darla well, and it is an honor to share the success of this Oklahoma treasure with all my readers here on The Digital Bits. Go to darlaz.com.

Happy Holidays from the Elders and… ok, I can say this once… Go Sooners in the Sugar Bowl!

It was the year of our Lord, 1972 and The National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City (now called the National Cowboy Museum and Western Heritage Center) hosted every year a grand event called the Western Heritage Awards, where they gave a trophy called “The Wrangler” to outstanding theatrical and television Westerns and the winner this particular year was a film called “The Cowboys,” starring, well, you know who. [Read on here...]

And the rumor mill made it all the way down I-35 to our hometown of Purcell, Oklahoma and my brother and I, about 12 and 11, suggested to our father, who was a state legislator of some note, that he use his influence to get us into that ceremony, and darned if he didn’t. And, so on a balmy April night, we got to stay in a hotel in Oklahoma City and dressed up in our fancy early 70s garb and thus intermingled with movie greatness for really the first time in our lives.

But, sadly, not the Duke.

For some reason, actually the same one Clint Eastwood must currently have, as he won’t attend, John Wayne didn’t really come to these awards, although he won for The Alamo, The Comancheros, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Sons of Katie Elder, (by the way, did you realize that the youngest Elder, so to speak, was named “Bud” and I predated the movie by six years!), The War Wagon, True Grit and The Cowboys, which was his last win. Maybe his not showing up was the reason The Shootist, one of his true classics, didn’t win in 1976. You would see him at events all over the country, but never at the Western Heritage Awards.

I know John Wayne came to Oklahoma City at least once, because my dear friend Lori Hall Copeland saw him in an elevator once when she was a kid. And I know he loved the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, as he left the museum his complete Kachina (Indian) doll collection and other memorabilia. Who knows the real reason? It still plagues people here.

But enough about that… let’s talk about who WAS there. I know as I still have the program loaded with signatures.

First there would have been Dale Robertson, who was very instrumental in the founding of the Hall of Fame, who would later become a mentor and dear friend to me. And I think I would have known who he was then, as he was on TV a lot. I would imagine that Oklahoma’s own Ben Johnson might have been there – but we had met him after he won his Oscar for The Last Picture Show in a hometown diner, so that would have been old news to such sports as us.

And then there were two of the stars of The Cowboys – Slim Pickens and Roscoe Lee Browne. We met both and they were wonderful. Imagine, at the early age, I had yet to see Dr. Strangelove. And Browne I later saw in My One and Only on Broadway.

There were TV stars there too… no Jim Arness, but Milburn Stone, Ken Curtis and Amanda Blake represented Gunsmoke. All, now I know, were great character actors in “B” pictures.

Then, inducted into the Western Player’s Hall of Fame, were two giants in the film industry – one James Stewart and, Heavens to Betsy, Joel McRae. Stewart we certainly all knew as kids – when you think about it, he really never stopped working. We had seen a great (still) movie called Fools’ Parade and the next year, we would watch him in a short lived CBS series Hawkins. I hadn’t then experienced The Philadelphia Story or Winchester ‘73 or maybe my all time favorite film Vertigo. I do remember that he wore an obvious, even to my young eyes, toupee.

McRae, we didn’t know at all and I probably wouldn’t have approached him for an autograph had my dad not told me he was one of the greats. Imagine, Sullivan’s Travels, The Palm Beach Story, Foreign Correspondent and, of course Ride the High Country. Good Lord. And I remember him being very gentle and sweet and gray haired.

That night also featured the unveiling of a new painting for the Hall. Oh yes, it was rendered by Norman Rockwell and its subject was, how do I say this, Walter Brennan. Him, we knew, because of the Over the Hill Gang movies and reruns of The Real McCoys. He also did a series we watched called The Guns of Will Sonnett. I didn’t know he was, at the time, the only three time Oscar winner from, gulp, Rio Bravo and My Darling Clementine and The Westerner and Blood on the Moon and many others. The rule with him, which I for sure remember, was that he wouldn’t sign autographs while he was at dinner. We had to wait to go to him.

There’s another component about that night that I’ll have to share. My dear friend Bill Thrash, who we lost this summer and I didn’t know then, was in charge of the program and he, along with some cohorts, made sure that every year a Wrangler Award went to the best score in a Western film. I know now they did this so that they could meet their heroes – Dimitri Tiomkin, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Fielding, etc.

That night, sitting next to us, was a bearded, bespeckled fellow who I had just seen win an Oscar for adapting the Fiddler on the Roof score. He was there to accept his award and conduct an orchestra playing the theme music he had written for The Cowboys. My dad bugged him all through dinner, after I told him who he was, telling him that his son (me) was an outstanding piano player. This was embarrassing me at the time because somehow I knew that John Williams would go on to much bigger fame and fortune.

The Wranglers still survive, although there are few real Western stars left – the ceremony gets by with an occasional appearance by Oklahoma’s own Rex Linn (he of many TV Westerns and “CSI Miami” and a great guy). Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott still show up and now and then there’s a good Western – the remake of True Grit, Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, an overlooked Tommy Lee Jones directed feature that, along with Jones, starred my buddy Dwight Yoakam and eegads, Django Unchained, which won last year.

Somewhere the Duke is, for sure, spinning in his grave.

Remembering Ron Joy

Damn, I hate writing obits. But this one is necessary.

The first time Gray Frederickson took me to Hollywood in an attempt to attract film business into Oklahoma, he introduced me to his oldest Hollywood friend, Ron Joy. And I was immediately smitten. He was everything I thought a Hollywood player should be – always dressed to the nines, with perfectly brushed white hair and a black leather jacket and scarf. He was ribald and witty and every restaurant manager in Beverly Hills and Hollywood would make a table for him when others had reservations for a year. And he knew everybody – one time I met him for breakfast before the University of Oklahoma played WashingtonState in a rare Rose Bowl appearance on New Year’s Day, and he had spent all evening at Jack Nicholson’s house. Did I say I was smitten?

He came to Hollywood from Chicago and was, mostly, a photographer of great renown – he was the official shooter for The Beatles when they came to America. He was also best friends with Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews and the hilarious Edwards’ film The Party with Peter Sellers was based on an idea of Ron’s. He was a Rat Pack associate member and actually lived with Nancy Sinatra for many years.

Actually, Nancy was the first person to sign in on his obituary last week. He had Alzheimer’s for the past five or six years and finally succumbed, with his daughter, who he raised alone and his two grandsons at his bedside.

Two quick stories.

I brought him to Oklahoma one time to help teach a film class. And I took him to eat the local joints, which included a fried onion burger joint in El Reno and an all you can eat catfish place in Marietta. This to a man who ate brunch every Sunday at the Hollywood Roosevelt. I never lived it down.

Although I have other stories that I best not repeat, (however, all my friends know Ron’s punch line “blacksex.com” – remember I said he was ribald) here’s my favorite.

Gray, Ron and I were eating lunch at Café Roma, a longtime insiders’ outdoor Italian café in Beverly Hills. Oh, and with us, whether at a quick pass through or sharing the table were George Hamilton, Mel Blanc, Jr. and the Governator (more stories about him another time).

Out in the bright California sunshine, I noticed that dapper Ron was wearing an electric blue watch, with an electric blue leather band and, although I don’t usually notice these kinds of things, I commented on how beautiful it was.

“Nancy Sinatra gave this watch to me,” he said.

Gray snapped back.

“No she didn’t – I saw you buy it off the street last week.”

To which Ron, peering over his sunglasses, said.

“Who are you going to believe?”

God Bless Ron Joy and his family. He was wonderful to this rube from Oklahoma.

Blu-ray & DVD Classics

Straight from Olive Films, we have a treasure trove of delightful, beautifully rendered Blu-ray wonders.

First is Shack Out on 101 on of the lost, great indie noirs that played “B” picture houses in the 50s. With Lee Marvin, playing a character called “Slob” and a vicious anti commie sentiment, this film demands to be seen. Also a noir-ish classic from Olive is The Big Combo, directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Richard Conte.

But there’s more – after Paramount lovingly restored the Max Fleischer Popeye cartoons, many of us wondered about the sailor’s female counterpart – Betty Boop. Well, here she is in tremendous Blu-ray in two volumes. I’ve watched all of both and there isn’t a dud in the bunch. Go to olivefilms.com.

Twilight Time, this month, actually sent me a movie I’ve wanted to see since I was a kid – The Other was “R” rated at a time I couldn’t attend such films and it has always escaped me. Until now. The Blu-ray collectible edition (meaning only 3,000 were made) is a must own. Also this month from Twilight Time is Mindwarp a post apocalyptic horror gem that is rare beyond rare. But boy howdy does it look great. Go to screenarchives.com and get ‘em while you can. Oh, and I have to tease… up on Twilight Time’s horizons are two Woody Allen pictures and, dare I say it, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, one of Clint Eastwood’s goofiest, greatest movies.

Warner Archive continues to release classics upon classics – and now include titles from Paramount. Here are two that are undeservedly lost to time. Funeral in Berlin was the sequel to The Ipcress File and the prequel to Billion Dollar Brain as Caine played an intelligent, glasses wearing antithesis of James Bond named Harry Palmer, based on books by the still living, thank goodness Len Deighton. Guy Hamilton, who directed this film, also did a few Bonds you may have heard of like Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever.

Another Archive Paramount film is called Posses that was a mid 70s revisionist Western starring and directed by Kirk Douglas. It’s great fun – more so than Douglas ’ comedy Western The Villain that would appear several years later. Here’s a story on myself... I told a girl that I was dating at the time that I had written a song just for her and, knowing she would never see this picture, appropriated its theme song. I think this is the one. Go to warnerarchvie.com.

And don’t forget that Factory Entertainment is giving Bits readers a 25% discount any order of IN STOCK ITEMS over $50 by using the code D1G1TALB1TS10 at checkout.

Now then, in announcement news today, Warner Home Video has set We’re the Millers: Extended Cut for release on Blu-ray Combo and DVD on 11/19 (SRP $35.99 and $28.98). Extras will include a Millers Unleashed Outtakes Overload, deleted scenes, Gags & More Outtakes and the 9-part Stories from the Road documentary (includes Extreme Aniston, The Miller Makeovers, Road Trippin’ with the Millers, Don’t Suck Venom, Getting out of a Sticky Situation, I Am Pablo Chacon, Rollin’ in the RV, Livin’ It up with Brad and When Paranoia Sets In).

Warner has also set Steven Spielberg Presents: Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain: The Complete Series for DVD only release on 1/28 (SRP $19.98).

By way, a number of you have asked about the difference in running times between the theatrical cut of Fox’s The Wolverine and the Unleashed Extended Edition. The theatrical cut is 125 minutes and the Extended is 165. So a whopping 40 minutes - definitely worth a look.

[Late Update: Quick heads-up on The WolverineExtended cut: ThinkJam PR originally told us (when we asked) that the cut was 165 minutes long, but director James Mangold says it’s only 12 minutes longer than the theatrical cut of 126 minutes. We have now OFFICIALLY confirmed that with Fox. The Extended cut is 138 minutes long, 12 minutes longer then the theatrical cut. Adjust your expectations accordingly. Sorry for the error!]

Here’s the cover art for both again...

Here’s the cover art for We’re the Millers, Olive Film’s The Bamboo Saucer (due 1/21/14) and the non-Steelbook version of Universal’s Fast & Furious 6 (due 12/20 – the art we posted yesterday was the Steelbook, both are available on Amazon.com)...

All right, Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity opens this weekend and we hear it’s actually really damn good in IMAX 3D. We’re checking it out ourselves today, so we’ll let you know.

We’ll be back next week with FIVE more Oktoberfest reviews, those giveaways, all the week’s release news… and you never know… maybe a new disc review involving a kaiju or too.